OPENING SENTENCE
You open wide your hand O Lord, and satisfy our needs.

HYMN

GREETING

Grace and peace to you from God our Father

and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

COLLECT FOR PURITY

Almighty God

to whom all hearts be open

all desires known

and from whom no secrets are hidden;

Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts

by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,

that we may perfectly love you

and worthily magnify your holy name

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SUMMARY OF THE LAW

Our Lord Jesus Christ said: The first commandment is this: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.”

The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these. Amen. Lord, have mercy.

CONFESSION

God is love and we are God’s children.

There is no room for fear in love.

We love because God loved us first.

Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith.

God our Father, we confess to you

and to our fellow members in the Body of Christ

that we have sinned in thought, word and deed,

and in what we have failed to do.

We are truly sorry.

Forgive us our sins,

and deliver us from the power of evil,

for the sake of your Son who died for us, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

ABSOLUTION

May the God of love and power

forgive you and free you from your sins,

heal and strengthen you by his Spirit

and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.

GLORIA
sung by Sue Turner

COLLECT

O God our refuge and strength,

the very author of devotion:

hear the prayers of your church,

and grant that what we seek in faith,

we may in fact obtain;

through Jesus Christ, our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit

one God, world without end.

Amen

FIRST READING
Haggai 1:15b-2:9 read by Simon Lidwell

On the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month.

The Future Glory of the Temple

In the second year of King Darius, in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: “Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say: Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land, and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with splendour, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. The latter splendour of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts, and in this place, I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.”

SECOND READING
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5,13-17 read by Annabelle Guthrie

The Man of Lawlessness

As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. Let no one deceive you in any way, for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you?

Chosen for Salvation

But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. For this purpose he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.

HYMN

GOSPEL READING
Luke 20: 27-38 read by Rev Steven Ballard

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St Luke chapter 20 beginning at verse 27

Glory to Christ our Saviour.

The Question about the Resurrection

Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question: “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally, the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”

Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed, they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead but of the living, for to him all of them are alive.”

Give thanks to the Lord for his glorious gospel

Praise to Christ our Lord

SERMON

November is a month for remembering. All around us people are wearing poppies, a symbol that we remember the lives of those lost in war. Today, we come, possibly with some trepidation, to remember quietly those whom we have loved. It is not easy to remember, when remembering brings back the pain of our loss. It is hard to remember when the relationship we shared had its difficulties or when we feel that there were things we wanted to do or say but we did not get the chance. Sometimes remembering is the last thing that we want to do or feel able to do. So do not underestimate the courage it has taken to come here to church, to gather with others who have experienced loss, to remember and honour our loved ones in whatever way feels appropriate for us at this time.

Loss of a loved one is very painful. We are bereft and lost without them. We feel numb inside, lost, disorientated, and broken. The pain of such a loss lasts for years and years and although the pain may lessen over time, the loss is ever present and real. I lost my goddaughter at the age of 4 to cancer, my mother and father a few years ago and my cousin and aunt during Covid. I miss them all so much and they have left a huge gap in my life. Each one of us, here today, has lost someone who was special to us. Our close relatives and dear friends are everything to us and when something like death comes, it leaves a massive void in our lives and fills us with emptiness. We are left listless and heartbroken. Our world has stopped. It will never be the same again. We struggle to cope, and it takes a lot of effort to find the courage and willpower to pick up the reins of living again.

Life must go on for us and it also continues for the deceased. For Christians death is not the end, but the start of a fuller and better life for those in Christ. We are reminded of this in the letter Paul wrote to the Christians at Thessalonica, where we read, “brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.” I take this to mean that we should grieve the loss of our loved ones. But how is hope sustained during the wide ride of grief? Traditional Christianity advises us to hold on to the certainty of the resurrection of Christ and the teachings of the Church. We are to cling to the belief that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. As Christians our hope is in Christ, the resurrection and life.

This hope has its roots in scripture and in creation. In scripture we read about death and resurrection. You will recall the overwhelming despair the disciples felt on the death of Jesus and their utter sense of hopelessness. They were cut up, heartbroken and devastated. Whilst journeying from Jerusalem to Emmaus, feeling downcast and doubled over in grief, they encounter a stranger. This stranger drew alongside them, and listened to their concerns, their worries, their dashed hopes and their anger. After listening for a long time, the stranger then speaks into their sorrow and darkness. He spoke words of scripture and insight into their suffering. His words brought them such hope, they even commented on that – “were not our hearts burning as he opened the scriptures to us.” Only at home, whilst breaking bread with the stranger, the veil is removed and they realise that the stranger is Jesus. They knew then beyond any doubt that Jesus had risen. They recalled the words of the angel spoken to the women at the tomb. “Why do you look for the living among the dead. He is not here, he is risen.” They were so thrilled, excited, and overjoyed at seeing Jesus alive that they rushed back from Emmaus to Jerusalem to tell the disciples the good news. The disciples found hope, life and purpose afresh in the risen Christ. In creation we marvel each year at the way the daffodils come back to life, or are resurrected, bringing light, colour and hope into our lives.

Jesus is the resurrection and life and this truth we confess every Sunday in the creed, when we say “We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.” We as Christians believe that if we live in Christ, we will die in Christ and that on our death we will be one with him and all the saints in heaven. The atheist and the humanist would believe death is the end. Death is final, for we are annihilated when we die. The Sadducees in our gospel reading struggled with this concept of resurrection. They held the traditional Jewish concept of Sheol for those who had died. The Sadducees felt that the notion of resurrection was heretical.

In our gospel reading, we see them trying to trick Jesus with the question: “In the resurrection, this woman who has been married seven times, whose wife will she be?” They regarded such a question as the kind of thing that made belief in the resurrection of the body ridiculous. Jesus gave them an answer which had a permanently valid truth in it. He said that we must not think of heaven in terms of this earth. Life there will be different, because we will be different.

Jesus tells them that their assumptions are wrongheaded. The social situation behind the Levirate law was the threat of extinction. In the case of the death of a husband before a child had been conceived, the brother had to marry the widow. The continuance of the clan was the overriding value. Marriage at that time equalled procreation. Children had to be raised up and if not by the husband, then by the husband’s brother. But resurrected people will not die. So, there will not be a threat of extinction. Therefore, in the age to come marrying and giving in marriage is not required. Resurrection of the dead does not look to a future when the dead will rise and go on just as they did when they were alive. It is a whole new order of existence. To speak of the resurrection of the dead is to think outside the box.

However, what the Sadducees failed to grasp is that the understanding of the resurrection of the dead is perfectly compatible with the revelation of Moses. God revealed the truth about the resurrection when he said that the Lord is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is God not of the dead but of the living, for to him all of them are alive.” At that time when God said that, those patriarchs were dead. God is a God of the living and not the dead. The conclusion is unavoidable: these patriarchs are alive in God. they are living in God even though they have left the earth. This is at the heart of faith.

The Sadducees were so caught up in their rendition of reality that they could not conceive the possibility of something else. It had to be what they already knew or they mocked it, laughed at it anything that contradicted their narrow mindset. Jesus’ response does not accede to their earthbound worldview. Rather he overwhelms them with the realities that lurk on the edge of consciousness-the contrast between this age and the age to come, angels and resurrected children. They will never be able to stretch into the world of Jesus’ consciousness unless they let go, not of their world but of the absolute way they are using it to evaluate the real.

The resurrection reveals a world beyond the dictates of the senses, a strange and everlasting connection between human consciousness and the earth. The resurrection is beyond our comprehension. It is about mystery and wonder, but it is more than that for by removing its sting, Jesus has changed forever the anticipation of death, the experience of death, and the outcome of death—for all who are in Him. No wonder Paul says, “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus’ resurrection confirms there is life after death, and this life is better than anything we have ever known, as Scripture says: “ eye has not seen, nor ear heard nor the heart conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. We await in anticipation that great and glorious day when we will be with God and all the saints.

One lady grasped well this sense of anticipation of better things to come. She had been diagnosed with a deadly illness and had been given three months to live. So, as she was getting her things “in order,” she contacted her rector and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. The woman also told her rector that she wanted to be buried with her favourite Bible. Everything was in order and the rector was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. “There’s one more thing,” she said excitedly. “What’s that?” came the rector’s reply. “This is very important,” the woman continued. “I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.” The rector stood looking at the woman not knowing quite what to say. “That surprises you, doesn’t it?” the woman asked. “Well, to be honest, I’m puzzled by the request,” said the rector. The woman explained, “In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say ‘You can keep your fork.’ It was my favourite part because I knew that something better was coming… like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance! “So I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder, ‘What’s with the fork?’ Then I want you to tell them: ‘Keep your fork… the best is yet to come.’” For us on earth the best is yet to come and for all the saints before us they are enjoying the blessings of this different but glorious heavenly life. Amen

NICENE CREED

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one substance with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven;

by the power of the Holy Spirit

he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary,

and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory

to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,

the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father.

With the Father and the Son,

he is worshipped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism

for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

PRAYERS

Heavenly Father as you taught us,

through Jesus,

we come to you in prayer.

God of life and resurrection

help us to keep our eyes fixed

on eternal things and not on temporary things.

Guide us to live in such a way

that we are able to anticipate

the fuller joy of heaven

whilst we share your love and grace

with others here on earth.

God of the resurrection and life

we place our trust in you

God of life and resurrection,

protect us from the danger of greed,

of being self- centred and egoistical.

Help us to appreciate more the gifts we have,

and to share willingly and generously with others.

God of the resurrection and life

we place our trust in you

God of life and resurrection

we pray for all troubled

by their economic state

for farmers anxious about crops,

for traders anxious about market fluctuations

for those who feel shut out from access to wealth

and struggle to make ends meet.

God of the resurrection and life

we place our trust in you

God of life and resurrection

we pray for all victims of abuse and tyranny,

for all who suffer long term effects,

of torture, war, disease and mental torment.

We pray for the grace to forgive

and for healing of body, mind and spirit.

God of the resurrection and life

we place our trust in you

God of life and resurrection

we pray for the victims of disasters

famines, earthquakes and plagues,

for all who are crying

and those who have no tears left.

We pray for comfort and renewed strength

and also for considerate and trusting friends,

who can be an encouragement and support.

God of the resurrection and life

we place our trust in you

God of life and resurrection

your compassion extends throughout creation

Hear our prayer for all in any kind of need

We name those known to us in the quiet of our hearts

Sustain them in their troubles and restore their hope in you.

God of the resurrection and life

we place our trust in you

God of life and resurrection

you share with us

the beauty of your creation.

As climate change is destroying our planet,

grant us the determination and wisdom

to be better stewards of the beauty

that you have entrusted to us.

God of the resurrection and life

we place our trust in you

God of life and resurrection

you made us in your image

we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Help us to celebrate our uniqueness

and to use our God given gifts for your glory.

God of the resurrection and life

we place our trust in you

God of life and resurrection

in you we live and move

and have our being,

Keep our hearts and minds fixed on you,

and help us to store up treasures in heaven

that will last and not decay.

Merciful Father accept these prayers

for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,

who taught us to pray together..

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those

who sin against us.

Do not bring us to the time of trial

but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.

HYMN

BLESSING

The peace of God, which passes all understanding,

keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,

and of his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord:

and the blessing of God the Father,

the Son and Holy Spirit,

be among you and remain with you always. Amen

DISMISSAL

Go or stay in peace to love and serve the Lord.

In the name of Christ.